This invention relates to stringed musical instruments of the type which are played by plucking the strings in a well known manner, and more particularly but not exclusively the invention relates to so-called pedal steel guitars having one or more necks and provided with pedals or the like by means of which the player may raise or lower the pitch of one or more strings to obtain tones above or below those to which the strings are normally basically tuned.
The prior art discloses such stringed instruments having pedal-operated means for raising or lowering the pitch of individual strings, and although such mechanisms have performed well, they are generally characterized by certain deficiencies, and have failed to provide the player with a pitch changing device which:
(A) IS NOT COMPLEX IN ITS CONSTRUCTION;
(B) IS EASILY AND READILY ADJUSTED;
(C) CAN BE CHANGED OVER FROM THE ORIGINAL TUNING SETUP WITHOUT ANY DISASSEMBLY BEING REQUIRED;
(D) CAN OFFER A PITCH CHANGING CAPABILITY WITH UNLIMITED POTENTIAL, FOR EXAMPLE, TO BE ABLE TO RAISE AND LOWER THE PITCH OF ANY STRING WITH A GIVEN PEDAL, AND TO BE ABLE TO RAISE AND LOWER IN ANY COMBINATION, E.G. RAISE THE PITCH OF TWO STRINGS AND LOWER THE PITCH OF THREE STRINGS WITH ANY GIVEN PEDAL;
(E) CAN ACTIVATE ALL OF THE STRINGS AS MANY TIMES AS THERE ARE PEDALS AND/OR KNEE LEVERS TO AS MANY POSSIBLE DIFFERENT PITCHES;
(F) CAN PERFORM THE FUNCTION OF PROPORTIONAL DIFFERENCES OF NOTES.
The present invention contemplates an improved construction provided with novel means for raising or lowering the pitch of individual strings in infinitely variable steps between the extremes of the range provided. Thus, by not limiting the degree of variations in the pitch which the player may obtain from each of the strings on the musical instrument, he may obtain any tonal or chordal effects he so desires.